MULTIRADIO PRIORITY CONTROL BASED ON MODEM BUFFER LOAD

• US 20080108361A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Pernu, Ville, Ylanen, Jussi
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for controlling communications in a multiradio wireless communication device (WCD) by monitoring a backlog of messages waiting to be wirelessly transmitted through one or more radio modems as compared to a predetermined threshold. If the amount of pending messages meets and/or exceeds the predetermined threshold then a potentially problematic situation may exist, and actions may be taken to alleviate the large message backlog. Actions may include, for example, temporarily reallocating communication time for one or all of the radio modems. This time may be reallocated to radio modems experiencing potential message queue overflows in order to reduced the backlog of messages and avoid a potential communication failure.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications in a wireless communication device, comprising:

defining an operational schedule for two or more radio modems integrated into a wireless communication device;

receiving buffer level information from each of the two or more radio modems; and

adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems based on a threshold condition related to the buffer level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining an operational schedule for two or more radio modems includes allocating communication time to each of the radio modems.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more radio modems communicates using a wireless communication medium.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of each radio modem or each wireless medium is prioritized.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a transmission time is allocated to each radio modem based on its priority.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer level information includes information about the amount of data in transmission buffer for each radio modem.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold condition related to the buffer level includes at least one of a percentage of buffer usage, a number of messages in the buffer, and a change of state of the buffer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems includes temporarily altering the existing operational schedule.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein temporarily altering the existing operational schedule includes reallocating communication time from at least one radio modem to at least one other radio modem.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the operational schedule is restored when the threshold condition related to the buffer level is no longer met.

11. A wireless communication device, comprising:

two or more radio modems, the two or more radio modems enabled to monitor a buffer level in each radio modem; and

a multiradio controller, coupled to at least the two or more radio modems, the multiradio controller enabled to receive buffer level information from the two or more radio modems and adjust the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems based on a threshold condition related to the buffer level.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the two or more radio modems are integrated within the wireless communication device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the each of the two or more radio modems includes a threshold monitor to monitor the buffer level.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the threshold monitor periodically sends buffer level information to the multiradio controller via a common interface.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the threshold monitor periodically sends buffer level information to the multiradio controller via a dedicated interface utilized to convey delay-sensitive information.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the threshold monitor sends a signal to the multiradio controller when the threshold condition related to the buffer level has been met.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal is sent to the multiradio controller via a dedicated interface utilized to convey delay-sensitive information.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems includes temporarily altering the existing operational schedule.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein temporarily altering the existing operational schedule includes reallocating communication time from at least one radio modem to at least one other radio modem.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the operational schedule is restored when the threshold condition related to the buffer level is no longer met.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium for managing communications in a wireless communication device, comprising:

a computer readable program code for defining an operational schedule for two or more radio modems integrated into a wireless communication device;

a computer readable program code for receiving buffer level information from each of the two or more radio modems; and

a computer readable program code for adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems based on a threshold condition related to the buffer level.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein defining an operational schedule for two or more radio modems includes allocating communication time to each of the radio modems.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein each of the two or more radio modems communicates using a wireless communication medium.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one of each radio modem or each wireless medium is prioritized.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein a transmission time is allocated to each radio modem based on its priority.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the buffer level information includes information about the amount of data in transmission buffer for each radio modem.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the threshold condition related to the buffer level includes at least one of a percentage of buffer usage, a number of messages in the buffer, and a change of state of the buffer.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems includes temporarily altering the existing operational schedule.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein temporarily altering the existing operational schedule includes reallocating communication time from at least one radio modem to at least one other radio modem.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the operational schedule is restored when the threshold condition related to the buffer level is no longer met.

31. A multiradio controller, comprising:

at least one communication interface coupled to a common interface;

at least one communication interface coupled to a interface dedicated to conveying delay sensitive information; and

a control module, coupled to at least the common interface and the dedicated interface, the control module enabled to receive buffer level information from two or more radio modems and adjust an operational schedule for the two or more radio modems based on a threshold condition related to the buffer level.

32. The controller of claim 31, wherein adjusting the operational schedule for the two or more radio modems includes temporarily altering the existing operational schedule.

33. The controller of claim 32, wherein temporarily altering the existing operational schedule includes reallocating communication time from at least one radio modem to at least one other radio modem.

34. The controller of claim 32, wherein the operational schedule is restored when the threshold condition related to the buffer level is no longer met.

35. A radio modem, comprising:

a transmitter enabled to send message packets via wireless communication;

a buffer, coupled to at least a common interface for receiving information packets to transmit via wireless communication;

a control module, coupled to at least the transmitter, the buffer, the common interface and a dedicated interface for conveying delay-sensitive information, the control module enabled to control the flow of information packets from the buffer to the transmitter; and

a threshold monitor, coupled to at least the buffer, the common interface and the dedicated interface, the threshold monitor enabled to monitor the level of information packets in the buffer based on a threshold condition related to the buffer level.